Draft device for locomotives



June 12, 1923.

R. R. KOHN DRAFT DEVICE FOR LOCOMOTIVES Filed June 15, 1920 PatentedJune 12,, 1923.

RALPH REUBEN KOHN, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

DRAFT DEVICE FOR noooiuotrrvnsf Application filed June 15,

T 0 all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, RALPH REUBEN Koran, a citizenof the United States,residing at 1720 N. Creighton St, Philadelphia, in the county ofPhiladelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a certain new anduseful Draft ,Device for Locomotives, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention relates to the draft mechanism, of locomotives by which thehot gases from the furnaces are caused to flow through the tubes of theboiler.

The purpose of my invention is to induce or assist the draft by a blastof airsecured through'the movementof the engine, and passed upthroughthe petticoat pipe as in the case of the steam exhaust, and atthe same time control the division of steam and air by a battle actingas a valve.

A furtherpurpose is to use the air draft and steam exhaust at will ortogether for the purpose of causing the blast through the pettico-atpipe, permitting the use of the exhaust steam for'water heating duringa. part of the time, at least, While the engine is in motion. v

Further purposes will appear in the specific-ation and in the claims.

I have preferred to illustrate my invention by but one main form,selecting a form which is practical, efficient and inexpensive, andwhich at the same time well illustrates the principles of my invention.

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the preferred form-of my invention, thelocomotive being dotted in place;

Fig. .2 is a fragmentary vertical central section,showing a blast pipewhich may be used in Fig. 1.

Figure 2 is a section showing a conventional form of 3-way valve.

In the drawings similar numerals indicate like parts.

The induction of draft through the fire tubes of the locomotive boilerby exhaust steam through a blast pipe 5 and into a petticoat pipe 6within the smoke box 7 has been a common practice for many years. Theuse of an alternative path for theexhaust steam through pipes 8 and 8",coupling 9 and coil 10 to exhaust at 11 through the water storage spaceof the tender 12 is also old per se, but has been previously limited touse with special engines.

By my invention I provide a flared inlet air pipe 13, projecting atcthefront of the 1920. SerialNo. 389,117.

engine and connected by pipe 14 with the interior of the blast pipe 5 insuch manner that the air driven-in by reason of the air resistance metwith by the engine in its travel, will enter the blastpipe' and pass upice.

through the blast'pipe into the pett icoat pipe, serving thesamepurposev and acting in the same 'manner as in the case of the exhauststeam previously used.

I prefer to form a flare of the. inlet 13,

chiefly on one side as 14, so as to permit it to be located nearly inhorizontal line with the blast pipe without interfering with the openingof the front ofjthe smoke box.

VVit-hin the blast pipe, I place a 3-Way valve 15 showing conventionallyin Figure 2, controlling the passage of the exhaust steam through pipe16 in either of two directions, sending it through the nozzle 17 upthrough the draft pipe or through the outlet 18 to pipe 8 for waterheating pur poses or dividing the flow between these two paths, whenthevalve is in an intermediate position. This 3-way valve is operated bya stem 19, lever 20 and rod 21 from a hand lever 22 within the enginecab. Though the invention'thus fardescribed is desirable in itself, andpermits complete hand control of the steam, I prefer to use it incombination witha vane or blade 23 above the nozzle 17 and pivoted upona rod 24. This pivot point is preferably to the left of a direct line upthrough nozzle 17. so that a blast of steam from'the nozzle 17' willturn the vane upwardly out of the way, when there is not a strongblastthrough the pipe 14. The pressures on the two parts of theunderface of the vane to the right and i to the left of the pivot-rod inFig;2 are,

or may be nearly enough balanced so that a blast through pipe 14: uponthe right handside of the upper face of the vane turns the blade to theposition shown in Fig. 2, giving full play to the air blast eventhoughsome exhaust steam be used also. The vane need not at any time close theblast pipe entirely. Movement in clockwise direction can be limited byany stop and the valve may be restrained to any desired extent againstmovement in counter-clockwise direction so as to shield the air inletopening from steam blast when the steam is being used. In the positionshown the vane serves as a baffle to direct the air upwardly through theblast pipe when the air blast is on.

By my means, With passage of the en-.

gine through the air at the usual high rates of speed, the air blast iseffective to tahe the place of, or assist the exhaust steam 1n inducingdraft through the locomotive boiler tubes, leaving a larger percentage,or all of the exhaust steam available for use in heating the waterwithin the locomotive tank. My invention does not interfere in any waywith induction of draft by live steam when the engine is statibnary.

I recognize that a part or all of the value of my invention may beobtained by other constructions without departing from the spirit andscope of my claims. and desire to include all such constructions herein.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is 1. In a locomotive draft mechanism, thecombination of a locomotive smoke pipe, a stack leading therefrom, apetticoat pipe connected with the stack, a blast pipe beneath thepetticoat pipe a vane pivoted in the blast pipe and adapted to receivethe blast upon its under side, means for diverting the blast from theblast pipe laterally without passing it through the pctticoat pipe, andan air blast connection leading into the blast pipe from the front ofthe engine and for which the vane forms a battle to divert the air blastUp the stack.

2. In a locomotive draft mechanism. the combination of a locomotivesmoke pipe. a stack leading therefrom, a petticoat pipe connected withthe stack, a blast pipe beneath the petticoa-t pipe, means for divertingthe blast laterally from the blast pipe, a vane pivoted in the blastpipe and adapted to receive the blast upon its under side and an airblast connection leading into'the blast pipe from the front of theengine and for which the vane forms a baflie to divert the air blast upthe stack, the vane being bulanced so as to turn according to therelative pressures of the blast and of the air draft.

3. In a locomotive draft mechanism, the combination of a locomotivesmoke box, a

stack leadingtherefrom, a petticoat pipe connected with the stack, ablast pipe beneath the petticoat pipe, an exhaust steam pipe having anozzle discharging into the blast pipe a valve and connections wherebythe exhaust steam may be diverted therefrom, a pivoted vane in the blastpipe above the nozzle against which the nozzle discharges with greaterpressure on the rear side of said pivot than on the forward side and anair blast connection leading into the blast pipe from the front of theengine and discharging against the upper rear surface thereof to turnthe vane in the opposite direction to that caused by the steam blastthereon. v

4. In a locomotive draft mechan sm, a. locomotive smoke box, a stackleading therefrom. a petticoat pipe connected with the stack, a draftpipe beneath the petticoat pipe, air blast connections to the draftpipe, having an opening at the front of the engine, exhaust steamconnections for the blast pipe, a feed water heating coil, connectionsfrom the exhaust steam thereto, a valve directing the exhaust steam intothe blast pipe or the heating coil, or dividing therebetw'een at will,ontrol for the valve and a tilting vane in said blast pipe, adapted tobe turned in one direction by exhaust steam passage through the blastpipe to shield the air inlet from steam outlet, and to be turned in theopposite direction by air inlet to permit air passage therethrough.

5,v In a locomotive draft mechanism, a locomotive smoke-box, a stackleading therefrom, a petticoat pipe connected with the stack, a draftpipe beneath the petticoat pipe, air blast connections to the draftpipe, having an opening at the front of the engine, exhaust steamconnections for the blast pipe, a feed water heating coil, conneetionsfrom the exhaust steam thereto, a

valve directing the exhaust steam into the blast pipe or the heatingcoil, or dividing therebetwcen at will and a tilting vane located in theblast pipe, adapted to direct air in the blast pipe and pivoted withinthe path of the exhaust steam through the blast pipe.

RALPH REUBEN KOHN.

